Teenagers rounded up for smoking hookah in Punjab

Ludhiana (Punjab), June 4 (IANS) Over 50 teenagers were rounded up by the police for smoking hookahs at coffee shops here Thursday. The hookahs were ostensibly flavoured with fruit flavours but contained nicotine, police said. According to the police, over 50 teenagers, from affluent families were rounded up Thursday afternoon after police raided three coffee shops in posh colonies of this industrial hub of Punjab. Some teens were college students while some were still studying in schools.

Sukhchain Singh Gill, district police chief, told IANS: “We detained the children for some time. However, we released them after summoning their parents to the police station and gave them a strict warning.

“These coffee shops were serving flavoured hookahs in different flavours like apple, grapes and guava, filled with nicotine. We have registered a case against the owners of the coffee shops and sent the samples for further scrutiny in the laboratories,” said Gill.

Ludhiana town in Punjab is around 100 km from the state capital Chandigarh.

Gill said that more such raids could be conducted in the coming days.

According to one police official, the children had gone to the coffee shops from their home on one pretext or the other. Some made the excuse of visiting the gymnasium, tuition classes or some told their parents they are going to a birthday party.